Last Updated:
Beijing had curtailed exports of urea and other fertilisers to India in recent months, but has now started loosening controls
Beijing had curtailed exports of urea and other fertilisers to India in recent months
China has cleared an additional 7 million tonnes of urea for export, further easing restrictions on shipments of the key crop nutrient, Economic Times reported. A large part of this allocation is expected to flow into India.
Beijing had curtailed exports of urea and other fertilisers to India in recent months, but has now started loosening controls. Prior to this move, China had already allowed a smaller tranche of exports on Wednesday, of which India is expected to receive 2–3 million tonnes, according to people in the know.
The development comes as India and China have initiated talks on a broader trade package, covering critical supplies such as fertilisers, rare earth magnets and tunnel-boring machines, at a time when both countries face heightened tariff tensions with the US.
With the easing of curbs, Indian farmers are set to benefit during the kharif planting season, when rice, pulses, oilseeds and maize are sown. Urea demand has risen sharply after a favourable monsoon, with rainfall till August 20 coming in 2.1% above the long-period average, according to the India Meteorological Department.
As of August 15, farmers had sown 39.86 million hectares of rice, compared with 36.29 million hectares a year earlier. Maize acreage also rose to 9.28 million hectares, up from 8.29 million hectares last year, both crops being heavy consumers of urea.
However, data from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare shows that as of August 1, stocks of key fertilisers, including urea and di-ammonium phosphate, remain below year-ago levels, underscoring the urgency of imports.
Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a…Read More
Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a… Read More
Read More
